The Bryan College men's soccer team was predicted to win the Appalachian Athletic Conference championship this season, and the league coaches picked Tennessee Wesleyan and Bryan to finish second and fifth in the 12-team women's standings. Wesleyan was No. 4 in the men's poll. Bryan's Lions (16-3-3 overall in 2016) got four of the eight men's first-place votes and 60 points overall, compared to three firsts and 56 points for Union (Ky.). Union (19-3-2) went 8-0-1 to Bryan's 7-1-1 in league play and edged the Lions 1-0 in overtime in the AAC tournament final, and both advanced to the NAIA national tournament. Reinhardt got one first and 47 points for third place, followed closely by TWU with 46 and Bluefield with 45. Reinhardt got nine firsts and 141 points in the women's poll, and TWU got the other three firsts and 130. Point was third in the balloting at 107, while league newcomer Brenau had 94 and Bryan had 88 - 13 more than sixth-place Columbia (S.C.). Wesleyan (13-6-2) was fourth in the regular season last year but won the AAC tournament, and Bryan (10-10-2) well exceeded its 10th-place projection in Paul Babba's first season as coach.
* The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga lost 3-0 in a women's soccer exhibition Sunday evening at Belmont. Anna Brock Hawkins and Megan Michela scored in the first half and Tara Austin netted the third goal as the Bruins outshot the Mocs 19-11 and had 10 saves to UTC's seven. The Mocs open the season Friday at 7 p.m. at Finley Stadium against Austin Peay; admission is free.
Basketball
* The UTC women's basketball team closed its three games in British Columbia with a 74-71 win Sunday night against the University of the Fraser Valley in Abbotsford. The Mocs went 3-0. Sunday, senior Keiana Gilbert had five assists with a team-high 15 points, including the jump shot that gave UTC the lead for good with 58 seconds remaining. Sister Aryanna Gilbert, also a senior, and freshmen Jacobi Lynn and Brooke Burns scored nine points apiece, and sophomore Nakeia Burks added eight. Sophomore Arianne Whitaker had three blocked shots, seven rebounds and seven points in 16 minutes on the court.
Fishing
* After winning the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series national championship together at the end of last week, Bryan's Jacob Foutz and Jake Lee won their first-round matches Monday on a different Minnesota lake, Serpent, in the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Classic Bracket. That takes the eight individuals from the top four boats in the nationals and splits them up. Foutz brought in 14 pounds, 1 ounce and Lee weighed 10-11 in defeating two Bethel anglers, and another Bethel guy lost to Chad Sweitzer of Chico State. But Bethel still is represented in the semifinals by Cole Floyd, who caught 16-1. Floyd faces Lee while Foutz takes on Sweitzer today. Lee's foe Monday was 2016 Classic Bracket champion John Garrett.
Auto Racing
* Brandon Jones of Rainsville, Ala., won the $5,000 top prize in the Super Pro drag races Saturday night at Brainerd Motorsports Park. Jones topped 65 competitors with a new big-block Chevrolet engine built by Chattanooga's Steven Farrow. Charles Gazaway of Dalton won $2,000 as the runner-up, and Taylor Sweeton was third. Chad Brewer of Canton, Ga., was the Foot Brake victor with a 6.75-second run on a 6.73 dial in a 1973 Chevy Nova, and Melvin Croft of Chattanooga was second with an 8.77 run on an 8.73 dial in a 1983 Dodge Ram. Carson Emmett of Cedar Bluff, Ala., won the Junior Dragster class with an 8.70 on an 8.68; Mycah Jordan of Cleveland was second with a 7.94 on a 7.93.
Boxing
* The Red Bank Boxing Club will host its fourth annual Golden Gloves reunion Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Henry Luken building in the sports complex behind Red Bank High School. All former Golden Glove fighters and family members are invited; food will be available at no charge. For more information call Skipper Fairbanks at 877-4113.